A nation of shoplifters and other odds and ends

"Miss McIntosh: To ask the Solicitor-General how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful prosecutions for shoplifting have been brought in the last 12 months.

The Solicitor-General: The records maintained by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) do not separately identify cases of theft or burglary from shops. The information could only be retrieved by locating and examining individual case records and the costs of such an exercise would be prohibitive. Information is, however, available on the performance of the CPS in prosecuting all cases of theft and handling in the magistrates court. In 2008, the CPS prosecuted 141,159 cases of which 131,927 (93.5 per cent.) resulted in a conviction

Crikey, 'CPS in actually getting something right' shocker. One does have to wonder what McIntosh is so concerned about.

Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure the security of food supply.

Hilary Benn: By any objective standard, the UK enjoys a high degree of food security. DEFRA has a new co-ordination role for food policy across Government and a new departmental strategic objective for a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply.

So, maybe the parks of this great nation will be sprouting potatoes and the like ere long.

Elsewhere, around 100 million was spent on 'conflict prevention and discretionary peacekeeping expenditure' in Africa in 2006-7 and about 90 million in 2007-8, with rather varying results. I suppose the £3,172 spent in oil-rich Gabon (prop. Omar Bongo) must have worked, as I don't believe they have any wars there at the moment. Sudan and the DRC can be counted as less than trumphant successes.

Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2009, Official Report, column 1124W, which Ministers took the (a) induction and (b) action learning set course; and how much these courses cost.

Mr. Hoon: The two courses referred to in my earlier answer cost £100 and £250 respectively. Identifying Ministers who undertake training would, or would be likely to, discourage participation in future training sessions, acting as a disincentive for Ministers to undertake formal professional development.

While there would be much amusement from knowing who isn't up to the job, real world it is hardly a scandal that the various ex-wonks, polytechnic lecturers, 'human rights' lawyers and the like that infest the Labour benches might not have much knowledge of management and so forth.